In the era of evolved multimedia data transmission, the mobile users are demanding spontaneous access to video content, a higher-quality experience and more convergent mobile services than ever before. Due to the popularity and adoption of smart phones and tablets, the subscriptions for data consumption devices are expected to touch eight billions (or double figures) by 2019. The LTE Broadcast using 3GPP eMBMS technology enables operators to efficiently launch media services over LTE to meet this demand and support a wide range of new use cases. The LTE Broadcast enables multiple users to receive the same content simultaneously. The LTE broadcast can deliver the same content to multiple users with the capability to support a virtually unlimited number of users simultaneously, thereby maintaining efficient use of spectrum and network investments. The LTE eMBMS service is being deployed by multiple operators around the world providing TV services on mobile phones and tablets on the go. The LTE connectivity devices are a rich set of devices available within the LTE eco system and it is important to enable eMBMS service via such connectivity devices as well. The LTE connectivity devices like the Outdoor Consumer Premise Equipment (CPE) and My Fidelity (MiFi) routers are nothing but LTE routers providing access to end devices like the phone or a tablet via a WiFi interface. As proliferation of such LTE connectivity devices is going to high, it becomes important to support eMBMS services over such connectivity devices where in the eMBMS service is received by an LTE modem and streamed via WiFi to a connectivity device. However, to avail such eMBMS services provided by the LTE modem devices, there requires an end device which is capable of listening to eMBMS services from the LTE modems. Therefore, the legacy devices which do not support eMBMS services are not capable of receiving such eMBMS services. Also, extending eMBMS multimedia services over a connectivity routing devices to cover a host of end devices like the phones, tablets, STB exposes multiple issues. The key issues being that there is no signaling mechanism defined between a consumption end device and an LTE connectivity routing device which enables the end device to receive the multimedia service that the end devices are incapable to receive directly.
This present disclosure addresses the aforesaid problem of providing eMBMS services to the legacy devices like 2G/3G enabled devices which are not capable enough to detect and avail said eMBMS services.
The present disclosure proposes a solution to the aforesaid problem by providing mechanisms to extend the eMBMS service via LTE connectivity devices or LTE modems to end devices connected to connectivity devices. Extending eMBMS services over connectivity devices to cover a host of end devices like the phones, tablets, STB etc. exposes multiple issues. For example the set-top boxes or any connectivity device must interact with an LTE modem device providing eMBMS access, typically over Ethernet or WiFi. The LTE integrated devices i.e. phones, tablets typically incorporate the modem, middleware and application in the same device. As the consumption devices or end devices like set-top boxes and legacy phone and tablet devices cannot receive LTE eMBMS channels directly. Therefore, they need to interact with devices that provide 4G eMBMS modem functionality. In such architectures, the end consumption device runs the application and middleware (legacy 2G/3G phones are assumed to be capable of downloading and running the Middleware/Dash player application also called as a Broadcast application).